The prior art abounds with power-operated mechanisms for tilting outboard and/or inboard-outboard motors mounted on the transom of a boat. These power-operated mechanisms are useful to avoid damaging the propeller and the engine when docking or beaching a boat in shallow water and when operating the boat through weed beds. These power-operated mechanisms are also useful to raise and lower the larger and heavier high-powered outboard motors which are extremely difficult to handle manually and for holding the foot of the outboard motor in a raised position when the boat is positioned on a trailer for towing by a land motor vehicle. These power-operated mechanisms are especially useful to tilt or trim the outdrive of the motor to its most efficient angle relative to the transom of the boat to achieve peak performance of the motor and the boat irrespective of the distribution of weight within the boat.
The switches for actuating the power-operated mechanisms for raising and lowering the outdrive of outboard motors mounted on the transom of a boat are almost universally positioned on the upper end of a control lever, mounted on the sidewall of the boat on one side of the operator (driver), which operates both the throttle linkage and the transmission of the outboard motor. The high powered motors being installed on boats used by professional bass fishermen and others who like to travel at high rates of speed are likewise normally mounted on the upper end of the control lever so located. Since the operator of the boat must remove one hand from the steering wheel to actuate one of the switches to trim the motor either up or down to reach peak performance, a dangerous and hazardous situation is created. Thus, it is desirable to relocate the switches to the steering wheel so that the operator will not have to remove one of his hands from the steering wheel when the boat is travelling at high rates of speed.
U.S. Pat. No. Re. 27,932 to Mettetal, Jr. discloses several embodiments of typical, prior art, mechanisms for tilting an outboard motor, namely: a combination hydraulic and electrical circuit mechanism (FIGS. 1-4); a hydraulic mechanism (FIGS. 5-7); and a mechanical screw and nut mechanism (FIGS. 8-10). The present invention is adaptable for use with any of these types, or any other types, of mechanisms for tilting the outdrive of a motor.
Several kits are on the market for relocating the actuating switches to places such as the steering wheel, dashboard or the floor of the boat. Examples of such kits are depicted on pages 7 and 8 of the 1989/1990 Catalog of T-H Marine Supplies, Inc., 118 Celtic Circle, Madison, Ala. These kits have several disadvantages, deficiencies or drawbacks. The kit for relocating the switch to the steering wheel has the disadvantage or drawback in that the cable leading from the switches to the power trim wiring harness coils or wraps around the steering column or shaft when the steering wheel is rotated. For safety reasons, it is therefore desirable to provide switches adapted for mounting on the steering wheel to enable the operator of the boat to trim the outdrive of the motor while traveling at a high rate of speed without having to take his hands off of the steering wheel.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a relative inexpensive kit for locating or relocating on the steering wheel the switches of a power-operated mechanism which tilts or trims the outdrive of a motor for a boat.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide the power-operated mechanisms which causes the tilting or trimming of the outdrive of a motor for a boat with means located on the steering wheel to cause such tilting or trimming.
It is another object of the present invention to locate on the steering wheel of a steerable vehicle the switch assembly which energizes a component of the vehicle which affects the operation of the vehicle.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.